


Thousand Miles

by Sayakami



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Minor Character Death, haha - Freeform, only the second chapter and somebody's already dead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-01-16 00:24:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18510163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sayakami/pseuds/Sayakami
Summary: "For ten years Amon’s Dungeon had towered over Qishan, swallowing both daredevils and plainly unlucky men, who’d found themselves too close to its gate.For ten years, until the day it was conquered."Everything started with a question: "What if Judar was Alibaba's Magi?", and then I mixed a couple of more AUs.All the characters, relationships and the additional tags will be added in their own time.Since I can't say myself, how it'll go.Polish version:Tysiąc milna Wattpadzie.





	1. ɴɪɢʜᴛ ₁「ᴅᴜɴɢᴇᴏɴ ᴀʀᴄ 」

**Author's Note:**

> This is, basically, a translation of the Polish version. If you notice any mistake, please, tell me!

For ten years Amon’s Dungeon had towered over Qishan, swallowing both daredevils and plainly unlucky men, who’d found themselves too close to its gate.

For ten years, until the day it was conquered.

Suddenly, the whole building shone, and before anyone could question what was happening, in the place of the monumental tower stood young boy with a burning spear and sacks of valuables which blinded gawkers as they reflected the sunlight.

Alibaba only laughed to himself, accepting yet another failure in his life.

He wasn’t the person that conquered Amon, and he could only blame himself.

 

After reaching Qishan, Alibaba was desperate enough to stay here for nearly three years. Although, he did made his decision because of located in said city Dungeon, too, since, in spite of being aware of his own cowardice, he couldn’t let go of his childish dreams of following Sinbad’s footsteps and finding treasure in the tower. So he kept on working hard and telling himself that one day he’ll muster up enough courage to actually capture the labyrinth. He’d use some of the found riches to pay back his debt, and by whatever’s left he’d move to Sindria and start a small trading company there. A brand new life, without imposed responsibilities or guilt.

But that was just a dream, one impossible to achieve. Amon disappeared with everything that used to give Alibaba hope of any kind of change. He had no choice but to accept that - he’ll never come back to Balbadd and he won’t atone for the incident his carelessness led to. He won’t become a merchant. Everything left for him was to continue working as a caravan driver for self-important, but awfully rich clients.

Alibaba sighed.

Maybe it wasn't so bad that he didn't go to the Dungeon, though. Had he ever had a chance to actually survive battling dragons or different monsters from the labyrinth, just like Sinbad? What a joke! He would’ve died right away! Capturing Amon by that boy saved his life! Indirectly, but still. What was the use of Alibaba dying so young, he’d never even had a girlfriend, yet! And Qishan was full of lovely ladies, not to mention all the transient ones! Who knows, maybe he’d met a daughter of some famous merchant, they’d fall in love and run a business together? That would be something!

 _It’s not the end of the world_ , Alibaba thought, grinning and clenching his fist in front of himself. _I just need to work hard, and the fortune will finally smile on me!_

 

When Alibaba crossed the doorstep of Fadel’s Transport Company, three faces turned to his direction - two familiar and a new one.

“That’s the man I was telling you about, Sir,” his boss stated, pointing at the blond.

Alibaba had no idea, what Fadel meant by that, yet he smiled and bowed politely, then came closer to the group, where he greeted his new client with drilled courteousness.

“Alibaba is a reliable employee, who uses his knife well.” _What._ “I am sure that he and Leila won’t let anything inflict harm on you or your merchandise, while you’re travelling by the main road to Utan.”

 _Utan_ , he remembered, _was a small city-state on the east from Qishan. One of the three last oases before reaching the Kou Empire’s border. Thanks to that it was possible to find products rarely seen on the west, like tea, porcelain or silk. No less than one and a half weeks of travelling if you choose the shortest route. Although it’s highly possible to come across aggressive… packs of… thieves…._

It felt as if something twisted inside his stomach, but the smile on his face remained unchanged. Instead, he put his hand on the hilt of his knife, sticking out of his sash, and bowed low.

“You have no reason to be worried, Sir,” Alibaba said politely, even though his mouth felt dry. “We’ll provide your safety.”

 

A girl with long, highly tied, blond hair - Leila - was sitting bolt upright with her arms unnaturally stiff and fists tightly clenching reins to the point of her fingertips going white, with a fake smile and barely noticeable fear in her eyes, as the sun had set long ago.

Alibaba couldn’t blame her. He himself was almost trembling in fear, and it costed his entire willpower not to show that. But still…

“Everything’s going to be fine,” he whispered, hoping he wouldn’t wake up his client, as he put his hand on the arm of the girl. She cringed and turned her head to him. “In two days we‘ll reach Utan. Fate’s on our side.”

And right on cue the camels stopped walking.

Alibaba reached for his knife, noticing from the corner of his eye that Leila did the same, while observing the surroundings in search for any danger. There seemed to be none, though.

“What the-” Laelius’ grumble was heard along with the creaking of the caravan’s boards, as the man began to rise.

“Somebody’s laying there!,” yelled some woman, sticking her head out of the second wagon, while Alibaba was apologizing for the inconvenience and assuring that they were safe.

“Probably just pretending,” Leila growled, jumping from the wagon. Alibaba followed her with one of the lamps.

None of them lowered their knives.

Alibaba tried to ignore all the curious gazes that belonged to the people, who, one after one, awoke due to an unexpected stop, and walk with a little more confidence than he actually felt. He wasn’t sure if it worked.

A boy with long, braided, dark hair lay in fetal position on the ground. His breath was wheezing, and his body trembled, which wasn’t that surprising, considering how inadequately he was dressed - a black _choli_ , showing off bigger part of his stomach, and rather flimsy leg dress of the same color. You could think he’d been mugged, since he had no shoes, but on his arms he had gold bangle bracelets, and similar necklace with a ruby in the center.

Alibaba crouched next to the boy, and squeezed his wrist and thumb. His skin was cool in touch and the blond could feel the goosebumps, not to mention the trembling of his muscles. But it wasn’t parched, good.

 _At least he’s not dehydrated_ , Alibaba concluded as he saw the skin of freed thumb go back to its normal shape in no time.

“Are we going to stay here for long?”, Laelius exclaimed, with clear irritation in his voice.

“No, of course not, Sir! We’re starting right away!” Leila might have sounded polite, but her face showed nothing but annoyance when she hovered over Alibaba’s head and whispered, “Leave him. Thieves often pretend to be dying only to sneak into caravans of good-natured merchants to lead them to their hideouts later, and then.” She tapped her knife twice, then she turned around and started to apologize for the inconvenience.

Of course Alibaba knew that. Hell, he wasn’t that much of an ignorant (not anymore) but seeing this trembling body made his heart clench. What if he was the one to lie there?

Alibaba bit his lips, and with few quick moves he took of his tunic to cover the boy with it, cursing his own stupidity. It couldn’t end well, but leaving that boy like this? No one deserved to die alone on the desert, that was just too sad and too cruel-

“What do you think you’re doing?”, Leila hissed, but instead of answering, Alibaba lifted still trembling body, and only then he headed towards the caravan.

“I beg for forgiveness, Sir, but I couldn’t just leave him there.” He bowed, while trying to lay the boy as comfortable as it was possible in the wagon.

Laelius’ orange eyes reflected the lamp’s light, which made him look somewhat dangerous for an older man. “Do what you want, as long as I don’t have to pay extra.”

“Don’t worry about that, Sir!” Alibaba beamed, then turned his side to the client and leant against the wall, next to the unconscious boy, glancing at Leila.

He knew that expression way too well. She didn’t want to be there. He couldn’t blame her - taking in that boy put the entire caravan in danger. If something bad happened, it would be his fault, _his fault, again_ -

Alibaba took a deep breath of cold, night air, and rubbed his naked shoulders, trying not to think about anything unpleasant.


	2. ɴɪɢʜᴛ ₂「ᴅᴜɴɢᴇᴏɴ ᴀʀᴄ 」

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look. It's alive.

Leila had mixed feelings towards the unconscious boy that Alibaba was hovering over, with his hand checking the temperature. There was just no way it could end well. He was most likely a thief, who - just like she used to - preyed on human kindness. Still, she wondered why he didn’t get rid off that jewellery. And his clothes seemed pretty neat, though it was hard to say anything for certain in the faint light of the lamp dangling above her head.

 _Either newbie or a simple moron_ , she thought, biting her lower lip, as she glanced at the boy wrapped in Alibaba’s tunic, _who still got lucky._

She tightened the grip on the reins, ignoring the light pain the action caused, and once more focused on the road. 

 

After eighteen years of living between oases, Leila could say that the one they stopped near wasn’t the most impressive. The water basin had a _se_ at most, and you could count on the fingers of your hands all the trees, but it was better than nothing, so she wouldn’t complain.

If Leila was the one to decide, they would travel until they reached Utan, but Laelius wished to stop the first chance they got, so her hands were tied. She had to admit, though, driving at midday wasn’t really her dream.

Leila sighed, preparing in her head a mental to-do list, but stopped as she felt someone tap her shoulder.

It was Alibaba, obviously. Still without that huge, beige tunic of his.

The boy looked bashful, avoiding her eyes and scratching the back of his head. The blond was smiling lightly, but when he moved a little, the faint bags under his eyes became noticeable.

Leila crossed her arms.

“What’s up?,” she asked, not trying to hide the irritation in her voice. They were supposed to swap at dawn: Alibaba would have led the caravan, and she’d have rested in the wagon until midday at least, but no. Her coworker found an unconscious boy and decided to observe him instead of doing his job, so she had to take his turn.

She was _tired_. 

“Um, sorry…” said the boy nervously. Then he lowered his arm and, in exchange, raised his head, not trying to avoid her sight anymore. “I’m sorry for not switching around with you. I’ll take care of everything now and you should get some rest. I’ll wake you up if something happens.”

 _Oh._ Now she felt pretty stupid.

“What about that guy?” she asked a little too quickly to avoid awkwardness, but that brought an apologetic smile on Alibaba’s face instead.

“He looks a little better, but he still hasn’t woken up, so it’s hard to be sure… The sooner we get to Utan, the better. Someone more experienced will take care of him.”

Leila nodded, then sighed.

“Let’s hope he’s not faking,” she muttered, wincing.

Alibaba frowned slightly.

“I don’t think so,” he stated. He didn’t sound very confident, though. “If he wanted to trick somebody into feeling bad for him, he’d have gotten rid of that jewellery. And he’d have destroyed the clothes, maybe bruised himself, too, to look like he was robbed. Honestly, he looked as if he’d just fallen asleep in the middle of the desert… but nobody’s stupid enough to do this! ...right?”

He looked at Leila clearly searching for some kind of confirmation, but she knew by experience that idiots like this existed - usually rich and unused to the rules of the desert - so the only answer she could give was a shrug. It worried her a little how Alibaba looked into space with a deadpan expression afterwards.

They stood in silence for a moment, when Leila covered her mouth to hide a yawn.

“Oh, sorry, I’m not stopping you anymore!” he exclaimed, snapping out of the tranquillity and reached for an empty water bag Leila held the whole conversation, yet completely forgot about. “I’ll fill it,” was all he said before he got past her and turned to the wagons under bigger shadows and disappeared inside one of them.

_Hmph._

Alibaba was… alright, she thought. They never had a chance to learn about each other more - Leila worked for Fadel for no more than a month, and the two of them somehow always missed each other, leading different caravans - but it was more than enough for her to form at least residual impression: Alibaba didn’t belong where he found himself. He stood and walked a little too straight, and there were times where he spoke more eloquently than some of her clients that claimed themselves to be aristocrats in their own countries. If that boy wasn’t one of them, then she didn’t spend most of her life deceiving random travellers just so she could lead them into her old band’s den.

Leila snorted quietly, getting inside the wagon and sitting next to that unconscious boy they’ve found.

Just like Alibaba’s said, their unexpected passenger didn’t look bad. If she hadn’t seen how the night before he trembled and grimaced from cold, she would’ve never assumed he was found in such unpleasant circumstances. The boy was still covered with Alibaba’s tunic which light color contrasted with huge, black braid that lied collaterally to his body… Was that even a braid, though? It seemed more like beads, and only at the end you could see normal hair come out. 

Leila couldn’t help herself, so she got a little closer to touch one of the globes. Surprisingly soft and nice.

She laughed under her breath, but the smile fell quickly, and she took her hand back, tapping the hilt of her knife, then gripped it.

The familiar cold of the weapon always helped her calm down.

She brought her legs to herself and lied her head on the knees, taking a deeper breath at the same time.

She could have sworn she heard quiet chirping.

 

It wasn’t Alibaba’s voice that woke Leila up, but a sudden halt of the caravan. Her half asleep mind wanted to ignore that inconvenience, and she would have listened, if it wasn’t for a little too familiar laugh.

“Look, boss! Aren’t we lucky?”

Oh no. Oh no. No, no, no, that’s just exhausted mind, _let it be her exhausted mind_ -

The light that came into the wagon through rift between two parts of the cloth made it obvious that the sun was still up, but Leila shivered, as if she found herself in the middle of the desertic night.

She slightly raised her head, trying to sweep the inside of the wagon - Laelius sat curled up as far from the entrance as it was possible, using his whole body to cover a woman behind him. In one of his hands he held a simple, wooden staff, pointing the entrance. The boy they’ve found earlier still lied, unconscious, though it seemed he was grimacing lightly, so maybe-

Clash of metal hitting metal that somehow broke through racket, then another one, and another one, and-

Silence.

Leila gasped, then stood up and took out her knife, before she pulled back the curtain, and jumped out of the wagon on the unsteady ground.

What she saw was unexpected. All these armed bandits looked just like ravenous animals that finally managed to surround their prey, but on their faces she couldn’t find any maniac joy that usually accompanied the hunt, instead there was fury. Meanwhile, in front of the caravan stood Alibaba with left hand on the back and blood dripping from his right arm.

“You little…” somebody, most likely Abdul, started with rage in his voice, but then his eyes lied on Leila and a disgustingly satisfied smile crawled on his face. “Oh, Leila! Good job, as usual! You know how to lead ‘em straight into our hands!”

‘That’s not true!’ she wanted to yell, but she couldn’t find her voice, when she felt her eyes burn and tears started to form, but a wave of terror didn’t hit until Alibaba turned his head in her direction.

He looked as if she'd just stabbed him in the back, with mouth wide open and big, gold eyes, ruffled fringe uncovering three black dots on his forehead. His gaze hurt, _hurt so damn badly_ -

And then something changed in his eyes, the mouth closed and the frown appeared. Before she knew what was happening, she was already pushed back nearer the wagons, while Alibaba turned back to Abdul.

“Harassing women is impolite,” he stated calmly. Blond’s arm stopped covering her and returned to his back.

If Leila had some idea what has just happened, she might have laughed at Alibaba’s comment. But she didn’t understand, just like she didn’t understand what happened next, when a giant icicle impaled Abdul’s body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Se_ is, more or less, 1000 square meters. 
> 
> Sorry for the inactivity, but I had important exams, and after them I've got a writer's block. I think I'm better, now.
> 
> I'm thankful for Roky from the Magi Discord, who agreed to proofread at least half of this chapter, but couldn't continue, because they were busy. I probably should've asked somebody else to do it or wait for them to have more time, instead of posting that chapter like this, but I'm terribly impatient, so shame on me.


	3. ɴɪɢʜᴛ ₃「ᴅᴜɴɢᴇᴏɴ ᴀʀᴄ 」

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judar, shut up.

The rest of the drive Alibaba felt almost possessed. He was leading the caravan seemingly as if nothing happened, even retelling some of the more humorous stories from his previous travels to lighten the mood. In reality, though, this whole time his mind was clouded - his body was functioning without any supervision, following patterns well-known from years of experience.

Whenever his eyes closed, he could still see the body skewered on an icicle, as well as a myriad black birds. They surrounded the bored-faced boy who was levitating slightly above the floor of the wagon, and whose braid moved as if it were a snake preparing to strike. In his hand he held a wooden staff, aiming it at the bandits.

Judar. That’s what the boy Alibaba had found called himself. _Magi._ Whatever that meant. All he could glean was that he was a magician – not that he needed the help. After all, the boy had created an icicle in the middle of the _desert._

Apparently Judar was the only person who didn’t seem to mind the heavy atmosphere of the caravan. Quite the opposite - the boy carelessly waved the staff he took from Laelius, the black birds following every its movement. Alibaba didn’t know what they were, but he felt somewhat unsettled by their presence. His instincts screamed _danger_ , and it was enough for the blond to rush the camels with the hope of reaching Utan before the sun set - then Judar could go wherever he wanted, and take those black birds with him. 

It was unlikely, considering the Sun that was already sinking below the horizon, but Alibaba could just barely see the outline of the city. He still had hope.

After all, if there was something he never truly lacked, it was hope.

 

“Are we there yet?” asked Judar for the third time within fifteen minutes, poking Alibaba with the staff.

_Again._

The blond took a deep breath as quietly as he could, then beamed and turned to the boy standing on the wagon.

“No! But we should arrive within a couple of hours!” Alibaba assured him, praying inside for this to be true.

He didn’t want to die. He had yet to find himself a girlfriend.

“You’re weird,” stated Judar, barely blinking as he was watching him. Something seemed to shine in his eyes. “Your Rukh makes no sense. But you’ve got some magoi.” The magician waved his hand as if there was an annoying fly around his head, then looked up and stared into space. “Not as much as that idiot or Kouen, but still not bad. Let’s conquer a Dungeon together; what do you think? And once we’re done, let’s start a war!”

At the end of his little speech, Judar pointed the staff at Alibaba’s face, and it would be a lie to say that blond didn’t shiver at the sight of potentially murderous weapon in front of his eyes.

He understood only the second half of the speech, and even that part wasn’t very clear. He liked the words ‘let’s conquer a Dungeon’; ‘let’s start a war’ much less. And wasn’t Kouen the name of the first prince of the Kou Empire…?

“Well? What’s the answer?” Judar asked, seemingly irritated. “You’re not gonna tell me you prefer a life of some pathetic caravan driver-”

Alibaba cursed and immediately turned around, ignoring the magician. His fists clenched around the reins and eyes focused on the road. Thanks Solomon, they didn’t seem to be off the track.

And he called himself a professional…

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!” Judar stabbed him with that cursed staff. “Are you kidding me? Here I am, _the magi_ , am giving you a chance to become a king, and you just-”

“Could we _please_ talk about it once we’ve reached the city?” Alibaba did his best not to sound like he was talking through his teeth.

 _Why are you even promising him that? Weren’t you supposed to drop the idea of playing with Dungeons?_  

Really, he was. It was high time to start living in the real world, instead of a youth’s wild imagination.

“Hmm… No.” Yet, he could hear that Judar sat down. Good enough. “Let’s pretend I care about your opinion. What do you think about Amon? It’d suit you.” Alibaba could feel an unpleasant sting in his chest. “I was the one to summon him, by the way. These old geezers from Al-Thamen told me to call him back, but who actually cares, we can still conquer it. He’s not that fancy, like, Astaroth, for example- That’s a djinn! Amon can’t hold a candle to him, but he’s not so bad-”

“Amon’s been conquered,” Alibaba interrupted, remembering the blinding light and regret.

When he finally accepted that he’ll never capture any Dungeon and decided to focus on his work… Why only now Judar has appeared? Why not a month ago, when Amon still overlooked Qishan? If only had they met a little earlier...

Alibaba involuntarily bit his lower lip and blinked faster. ‘It’d suit you.’ What irony.

Judar apparently felt moved as well, since a sound of staff hitting wooden wall was heard.

“What? Who dared to conquer my Dungeon?!”

“Some kid from Kou.”

Leila’s hoarse voice was startling, considering Alibaba completely forgot that there were other people in the caravan beside him and Judar.

The blond slightly turned his head to see the girl, without losing the road from his eyes. The shadows couldn’t hide how white Leila’s face still was. He couldn’t really blame her.

For a moment, nobody spoke a word.

“What the hell?! Firstly, they tell me to call it, then to get rid of it and now they conquered it, anyway!” Judar’s hands flew up, which once more startled Alibaba, but what he heard next was even more surprising.

“You… you’re the Kou Empire’s High Priest, aren’t you?” Laelius asked carefully, though he didn’t sound uncertain in the slightest.

The mage laughed in a way that reminded Alibaba of his mother’s goodnight stories. That’s how the evil characters always sounded.

He didn’t know what to think about it.

“Yeah! That’s my new job!” Judar confirmed, which made Alibaba realise that he probably did mean _that_ Kouen. “Pretty cool, huh? They sent me to that oasis… what was it called… whatever. I had to get rid of Amon, but apparently, the plans had changed and nobody thought it would be a good idea to inform me!” he yelled theatrically, his arms going up once more. “But anyway, about that Dungeon… Hey, Hornhead, you listening?”

Alibaba felt somewhat ashamed for the strange squeak he made as he felt Laelius’ staff dig into his back _again_.

“Stop poking him,” Leila hissed, before the blond could say anything.

“Ha! Or what?”

He could hear both of them standing up, and Alibaba wasn’t sure if he wanted to turn around and find out what’s going to happen. After a moment of hesitation he gave in, and slightly looked behind to see Leila with her hand on the hilt of the knife and Judar towering over her with loosely held staff and sleazy smile. But what he heard next truly terrified him.

“Let’s go to Fadel, you said. He’s a trustworthy man, our journey will be peaceful…” a dark haired woman sitting next to Laelius hissed. The poor man looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but in this wagon…

_They’re gonna cut it off from the pay..._

“I am so sorry for the inconvenience!” Leila squealed, bowing in half. Thanks Solomon she noticed…

So did Judar, unfortunately.

“And where’s all the fun in a peaceful journey?” he snorted, crossing arms on his chest.

The woman scowled.

“Not being scared for your life, for example,” she spat. For some reason, these words made Alibaba turn back to road and focus on driving.

“Why would I be scared for my life? I’m a powerful magi; others should be scared of _me_.”

"Because if that kind carter didn't decide to help you, you'd have likely been dead by now, for example."

Silence fell. Alibaba hunched slightly with his eyes glued to Utan's silhouette. Why was this city so far? Why couldn't this journey be over?

Judar snorted, and panels creaked as he slowly turned around. The blond could feel the staff coming closer, but, surprisingly, magician didn’t stab him with it.

“ _Of course_ that happened.” His voice was calm. It reminded him of something. He sounded like, like…

Cassim. That evening in a tavern. He could almost… almost feel it. The taste of bittersweet wine on his tongue… And the suffocating scent of smoke.

_His throat was itching-_

“The Rukh wouldn’t let me die like this, so they placed you on my way.” _Please, stop._ “And that’s why I’m gonna make you my King Vessel!”

Alibaba leaned back sharply and three things happened: 1) his head hit the staff, 2) he reined in, forcing the camels to stop abruptly, which was accompanied by the screams of the travelers, and 3) Judar fell over and cursed violently.

Meanwhile, the blond couldn’t find his voice, even just to apologize for the commotion, since there wasn’t enough air in his lungs no matter how hungirly he inhaled it.

“Let’s talk about it later,” Alibaba said, once breathing wasn’t so hard anymore.

No one answered, and the camels started moving.

 

Settling formalities after they reached Utan went surprisingly smoothly. Strangely, Laelius demanded a refund only for the staff Judar took. Alibaba wasn’t going to question it. Maybe they were all just too tired to care. He paid with his own money, but thanks to that he wouldn’t have to explain everything to Fadel when they went back to Qishan.

All in all, the journey was successful. More or less.

“I still want you to be my King, so I’ll overlook how you rudely interrupted me before.” Oh, right. Judar was still with them.

Alibaba turned around to face the magician, who, once more, looked at him in that weird manner - with slightly knitted eyebrows, and shining irises. Was that some kind of spell?

“One extremely powerful or two much weaker. Otherwise, you’re dead.”

_What._

“What,” Leila growled, appearing right next to Alibaba. She took a deep breath. “Ok, listen, we were tolerating you the whole road to Utan, since we didn’t have much of a choice, but we’re here. You can leave.”  The girl waved her hand as if to chase Judar away. “Wherever you want! And bother other people with Dungeons and Djinns. You’re wasting our time. Right?”

She turned to Alibaba, waiting for a backup, but he had no idea what to say.

“Umm,” he started very eloquently, scratching his head, “well, you know.”

Judar crossed his arms and gave the blond a ‘well, what do I know’ look. It was pretty irritating.

“Ugh- Even if I was interested, we can’t just go to a Dungeon without any preparation! And there’s no Dungeon here!” Alibaba laughed nervously, avoiding eye contact with both Leila and Judar, hoping that it was enough explanation for them to drop the subject.

That damned mage was giving him hope…

Alibaba _did_ want to conquer a Dungeon. Hell, for the past three years he lived in the belief that one day he will actually do it. Every time he walked through Qishan’s streets, he looked in Amon’s direction at least once, imagining what awaited inside, thinking that he’ll be the one to find out. But the disappearance of the Labyrinth allowed him to finally realise that he was being unrealistic with his dreams. He was no one special, not like Sinbad or Kouen were. He was just Alibaba - some kid from slums, who somehow found himself in a palace, only to flee once things started to go south. How could a person like this could survive inside a Dungeon?

“Tsk, come on. That idiot always throws himself everywhere without thinking, and he still manages. And you’ll have a powerful magician on your side!”

Leila inhaled, visibly wanting to say something, but Alibaba beat her to it.

“I’m not capable of becoming a Dungeon Conqueror, Judar.” That’s it. The whole problem, no less, no more. No matter how depressing it was.

To be honest, he expected to cause an awkward silence between the three of them, but the mage, as always, wasn’t affected by it.

“Oh, please.” Judar sounded bored. “Do you really think I’d waste my time on you if I didn’t know you could do it? Besides, like I said…”

The black-haired boy stepped back, then pointed his staff in Utan’s main square’s direction.

It happened differently than in _The Adventures of Sinbad_. The earth didn’t open, and lighting didn’t strike. The wind didn’t carry any buildings away, and the water wasn’t trying to reach the sky. Nothing caught fire. No fire burned out. Even the silence was being disturbed only by leaves’ rustle that was present from the very moment they arrived in the oasis. Still, it was obvious that something incredible was happening, something he’ll never be able to describe, but the mere thought of the right memory will dumbfound him, take his breath away, and stop his muscles from moving, too captured in the importance of the moment.

It couldn’t have lasted longer than a couple of seconds, but he got the impression that hours have passed, before he started to calm down, and realised, that where there was once an empty town square, now stood a tower, shining in the moonlight and streetlamps like pure gold.

“As a Magi, I summon Dungeons.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translating is an extremely annoying thing to do. ~~I deserve a comment for an effort at least.~~  
>  Seriously, though. Knowing that somebody actually reads this fanfic is very motivating, and leaving a comment is the best sign of interest I could ask for!
> 
> Proofread by Zed_27! :D


	4. ɴɪɢʜᴛ ₄「ᴅᴜɴɢᴇᴏɴ ᴀʀᴄ 」

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well. That was awkward.

_This isn’t real,_ Leila thought, when the solemnity of the moment had finally faded and Judar’s words stopped resonating in her head.

Because it was unbelievable. In the previously empty square rose a tower, just as impressive as Qishan’s Amon.

It wasn’t easy to evaluate how high the tower was, but she would bet that its silhouette was visible from Kou Empire’s border; and you needed to travel half a week without a break to reach it (if you were lucky, that is). Although, the Dungeon seemed to shine in the light of the moon and street lamps, the more she focused, the more she realised that its walls were actually pitch black, but covered in a thick layer of gold powder, which created the illusion of purely golden building. The gate was different, way too dark to match the whole Labyrinth, and there was only one ornament above it - a sun made of precious metal.

With every passing second, the Dungeon seemed less and less similar to Amon. The only characteristic they shared was the feeling of intimidation that took her voice away.

“We’ll find out about Orobas power, once we’ve conquered it, but don’t expect another Astaroth,” Judar said nonchalantly, relaxing a little. “More like another Dantalion, I guess. It gave me a similar feeling.”

Leila had no idea what the mage meant, but one thing was certain.

“What do you mean “we”?” She sent Judar a sharp look. “We’re not going to that Dungeon with you! If you care so much, why won’t you conquer it yourself? What’s the problem?”

The boy rolled his eyes.

“I’m a magician, you moron. I can’t just go and conquer a Dungeon. Djinn’s spells are too specialized; they’d mix with mine, and no one knows what would happen.” He snorted. “And I wasn’t talking to you, but him.”

Judar’s staff pointed Alibaba, who looked like… Honestly, she had no idea what he looked like. In the dim light she couldn’t see his face. His silence worried her, though.

He wasn’t seriously considering-

“So? You’re ready?”

Alibaba slowly turned his back on the Dungeon, and with unnerving calm looked straight at Judar.

“Not-”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Judar yelled, before Leila even realised what Alibaba just said, and could offer support to her… co-worker? Friend? Could she call him that already? Technically-

“I’ve already summoned it, you’re not gonna tell me-”

“Not today, Judar.” The black-haired boy fell silent, taking Leila’s satisfaction with his voice.

“What?” They asked in unison after a moment, the magician looking just as confused as she felt.

Alibaba took a deep breath.

“We’ve been travelling for a long time, so we should rest for now. The Dungeon won’t disappear before tomorrow, right?” The blond smiled sheepishly, his index finger on the chin. “Besides, I’ve already paid for a night in the hotel.”

 

“This place sucks!” Judar exclaimed, once they’d entered the rented room.

Leila couldn’t relate. The room looked normal, a little cramped, but surely big enough for three people to sleep comfortably, without squeezing too much. It was good, even if instead of beds there were mats on the floor. The bigger part of the wall belonged to a wide window, facing the central square currently occupied by the Dungeon, and right before it stood a burning lamp. Considering their tight budget, there was nothing to complain about. Especially with Alibaba having to pay Laelius for the staff Judar took…

“I can find something better for myself,” added the mage, and then, not waiting for anything or anyone, he flew through the window.

Just like that.

“If you could’ve done it from the very beginning, why did you bother travelling with us…” she muttered, kind of expecting the boy to come back, only to answer her.

That didn’t happen, obviously.

Alibaba sighed, reminding her about his presence, then basically crashed on one of the mats and stared at the ceiling.

Leila followed suit.

“What a day…” The blond murmured.

‘What a day’, indeed. At some point she wasn’t sure she’d survive to its end. But she’d have likely lived, somehow. In the end, death always spared her, and the vicious cycle began anew - somebody decided to help her, they became friends, they’d learnt her past, and decided to leave her all alone. Repeat.

That was just her fate.

Or so she thought, until Alibaba pushed her back, saying that harassing women was impolite.

She laughed under her breath. Now it was possible, without her throat tight.

Seriously, what was he thinking to say something like this? Did he read too much of the _Adventures of Sinbad_ , and now wanted to die with a cheesy comment worthy of the series’ author? That was so… stupid. Everything that day was stupid. This whole journey was stupid. What normal person would have chosen that road? Laelius would have chosen it, that’s who. He was stupid, but at least when that crazy mage had appeared, he was smart enough to run for the hills the first chance he got. Judar was stupid, because he was stupid. And Leila was stupid for letting herself believe for a moment, that everything would turn out alright, when by now Laelius had likely already spoken with someone from Fadel’s Company, and she’d been fired. But Alibaba was the stupidest: for helping Judar without knowing him, not leaving Leila even though she’d used to be a thief, and now willingly entering a deathtrap because some dumb _(powerful, terrifying)_ magician told him to.

What a tragicomedy her life was. Everything and everyone was stupid.

Fuck all of this.

“Uh, Leila…” That weirdo, Alibaba, started. “Are you… uhh… are you okay?”

She raised her head and looked his direction. The blond wasn’t lying on his mat, anymore. He was sitting with legs crossed, watching her with mix of discomfort and worry on his face.

She laughed.

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?” Her voice was surprisingly hoarse, so she cleared her throat. “Why are you asking?”

Alibaba opened his mouth, took a short breath, and closed it, without saying a single word. He looked away for a moment, then back at Leila, raising his hand and pointing his own cheek.

“You’re crying.”

She didn’t even think, before her hand was already on her cheek. It was wet.

“Oh.” Leila sniffed.

She rubbed her eyes, but it didn’t seem like they were about to stop watering any time soon, so she began searching for a hankerchief between the layers of her clothing. She just had to burst into tears now, really.

“Uh, do you-” Alibaba reached her with his hand, in which he already held a handkerchief, but that happened in the very moment she’d took her own. Simple, brown piece of fabric, which she owned for years. “Oh, uhh… okay.”

She laughed weakly.

“Still, thanks.”

Following couple of minutes they’d spent in silence, interrupted only by Leila blowing her nose. Meanwhile, Alibaba fiddled with his own handkerchief, as if he was going to need it soon.

Maybe he’d been waiting for the right moment to ask for details? Leila wasn’t sure if she wanted him to do that, or if she’d rather pretend she didn’t just cry like a toddler in front of him. Preferably the latter, she thought. All in all, lying was easier than a heartfelt conversation, and people didn’t learn enough to use it against you.

Still, she couldn’t get rid of the feeling, that she should say something, _anything_ to break that goddamn silence…

“Are you really going to that Dungeon tomorrow?” she managed to ask. There were things she was more curious about, but this one seemed easier than the others. “Or maybe you just told Judar you would, so he’d back off?” she added, only half-jokingly.

Alibaba looked at her, smiling bashfully.

“First thing in the morning I’m going to a bazaar for some preparations.”

Leila couldn’t help but wince.

“That’s a terrible idea.” There was no point in sugarcoating it. “If you go, you’ll die.”

The boy’s smile faded, his gaze directed to the window.

She wondered for a moment if saying that was a good idea. Then again, if it was enough to change Alibaba’s mind…

“Just think about it. How many people actually conquer these Dungeons? Maybe a few, compared to all of those who tried! Do you really think some questionable power is worth the risk?” She stopped for a moment, waiting for some kind of reaction, but the blond still stared through the window, his expression hard to read.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” he finally said, not lowering his eyes.

“Huh?”

“Conquer a Dungeon.” His head turned to Leila, staring at her with seriousness she wouldn’t have thought him capable of. “Since the day I’ve read about Dungeons in _Adventures of Sinbad_. I’ve never gathered enough courage to enter Amon, and now someone else conquered it. I probably wouldn’t bring myself to enter Orobas, either, but… with Judar it’s possible! You saw him, when-” he stopped, and all that excitement seemed to fade away from his eyes, “when-”

“He killed Abdul,” she finished, reluctantly pushing those words through her throat.

A long time ago, she wondered what would have happened if one day Abdul attacked the wrong caravan and got himself killed. She always brushed it off laughing (with relief, replaced years later by bitterness). Nobody really liked that asshole, but he was strong, and smarter than he appeared. Everybody wanted to be close to him, to create an illusion of stability and safety. He was their pillar. He seemed unbreakable.

And now he lay somewhere in the desert, and Leila still had bloodstains on her tunic.

She shouldn’t feel as bad as she did. She hated Abdul. He’d been poisoning her life, whether she was in the gang or not. Hell, she was happy that he died the way he deserved. And yet, just the memory of his body pierced by an icicle was enough to tighten her throat.

For some reason, she only now realised Alibaba was saying something.

“What?” She didn’t want to sound so rude. She didn’t want Alibaba to flinch upon hearing her, either.

_Calm down._

“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. What did you say?” She asked, making sure to sound friendlier.

Alibaba lowered his gaze. He was still fiddling with the handkerchief he almost gave Leila before.

“Just, I’m sorry for your loss.” He raised his head. “You knew each other, right?”

At first Leila wanted to deny it. An old habit. After all, who’d openly admit any association with bandits? It hit her, though, that it was way too late. Back in the desert Abdul called her by her name, and only a moment ago she inadvertently confirmed they knew each other by naming the man Judar killed.

She felt a strong urge to hit the wall with her head. There was no need for another thief to call her out. She’d been doing a very good job on her own.

Leila sighed. The cat was out of the bag.

“Yesterday’s news,” she mumbled, and then with few quick movements she untied her ponytail, and hid the fabric between the layers of her clothing. “Blow out the lamp if you can,” she added, laying on her mat, and turning her back on the boy.

Half-consciously she clenched her fist around the hilt of her knife, and pulled the weapon up, listening closely. The floor squeaked, and the light disappeared.

“Goodnight.”

She didn’t answer him.

 

Leila had no idea when exactly she managed to fall asleep. It felt as if centuries had passed before her consciousness finally faded, and maybe a couple of minutes before she had to open her eyes, since sunlight was almost painfully unbearable.

She lazily got up, not understanding where she was for a moment. But when the memories of the previous day came, something turned in her stomach, and she had to stop moving and begin breathing slower to avoid vomiting on the floor.

Too much. It was all too much. Laelius, thieves, Abdul, Judar and Alibaba-

“Alibaba?” she squealed, and maybe she’d have been ashamed of herself, had the circumstances been different, but with Alibaba’s mat empty and handful of coins left on it…

_What time-_

It felt like time stopped, and the temperature fell a few degrees. Her whole body shivered. She looked out the window, but that goddamn Dungeon blocked the entire view-

She jumped immediately, ignoring her stomach’s protests, and darted towards the door, then ran, not understanding what she was doing, nor what was the point of it.

Why she cared so much.

Before she noticed, she was already on the street full of people and noises, but her mind couldn’t grasp any of it. The sun was up high. Her eyes travelled from head to head, searching for that distinguishing gold color.

To no avail.

She ran towards the town square, ignoring the lack of air in her lungs and buzzing in her ears. It didn’t matter. All these people around her didn’t matter. They were in her way, forcing the girl to get round them, but fuck it. She had to make it. She had to catch Alibaba, before he and Judar went to that cursed Dungeon and got themselves killed. She didn’t know why, but she _had to_.

In some way she was aware of the irrationality of her behavior, how insane she must have seemed. With her hair like mane, not touched by a brush since she woke up, and her burning, sweating face, panting loudly and elbowing through the crowd, as if her life depended on it.

Hell, it might as well have. She had nowhere to go, no job to speak of. Fadel won’t accept her. Nobody in Utan will accept her. Nobody in Qishan will accept her. Only that godforsaken desert. The mere thought made her nauseous.

The closer to the Dungeon, the more people. The harder to squeeze through. But that wasn’t enough to stop-

“Leila?” That, on the other hand, was all that was needed. “Why… Are you alright?”

She turned around to come face to face with Alibaba.

Whatever her previous feelings had been, in a moment they were replaced by a burning rage that begged to leave her body.

“Am I alright? _Am I alright?!_ You- Ugh- You just leave Solomon knows when without saying anything, just leaving some money, like- You just- Ugh- I don’t know! Forget it! Couldn’t you at least wake me up?” Her voice broke with the last sentence, which was incredibly humiliating, yet she couldn’t bring herself to care in that moment.

Alibaba stood rooted to the spot, staring at her, with wide eyes and slightly opened mouth, and, honestly, she wasn’t surprised. She couldn’t understand why she cared so much, either. But the reason mattered little in that moment.

“Finally!” Judar yelled, right when Leila took a deep breath to say something. “Geez, all these people always gather around Dungeons, as if they were some kind of tourist attraction. It was hard to find you from above, and let me tell you, that yellow head of yours is pretty- Are you even listening? And what do _you_ have on your head?” The last question was directed at Leila, but she decided to ignore it.

“What? Yeah, yeah,” Alibaba mumbled, only looking at Judar from the corner of his eye, then focused back on Leila, scratching his head. “...I’m sorry?”

Leila sighed, averting her gaze.

“Forget about it, just-”

“Great! So we’ll just go,” Judar cut in, and honestly, Leila was slightly grateful he did that. It was getting too awkward.

“I… Okay, fine. Let’s go, so… see you soon?” He said, moving away hesitantly, while Leila’s stomach clenches unpleasantly.

Dearest Solomon, she was so going to regret this later, but…

“I’m going with you.”

“What?” The boys asked in unison, Judar sounding more outraged, while Alibaba genuinely surprised.

“I’m going with you to that Dungeon,” she repeated slowly, giving them both silencing gaze. “End of discussion.”

Of course that dumb magician didn’t listen.

“Who the hell do you think you are, to-”

“Are you sure?” Alibaba asked bashfully, and Leila almost burst out laughing at the sight of Judar’s offended face. “Yesterday, you sounded rather… against the whole idea of conquering a Dungeon…”

Leila shrugged.

She was still against it, but it didn’t seem like Alibaba was going to change his mind. Leila, though… Well, she survived eighteen years on the desert. She’d manage a Dungeon.

Hopefully.

“So, are we going?” She asked, starting to walk in the Dungeon’s direction.

The blond almost immediately fell into step.

“Uhh, are you sure, though? You don’t have to force yourself if you don’t-”

“I’ve already decided.” She could swear something shone in Alibaba’s eyes, before he directed his gaze at the Labyrinth.

However Judar’s expression suggested that Leila’s mere existence was an insult to him.

Silently, she sent him a bright smile.

“Hey! What was that supposed to mean!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really thought I'd be done with this chapter much earlier, but then life happened, and I was just too busy to finish it. I'm sorry for the delay!  
> But it's here. And I have no idea what I did.  
> Honestly, feelings are so confusing. It's my favourite part to write, but I always get anxious, wondering if all of this doesn't seem too out of nowhere. ;--; I did my beeeeest;;;
> 
> Thank you all for the comments on the previous chapter! It's extremely motivating! That being said, I'd appreciate if you'd have left a sign of life under this one as well!
> 
> Proofread by Zed, again! :D
> 
> PS. God help me, I need to describe how Orobas looks inside.


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